Why? It cannot be argued that swimming pool covers are an essential addition to any pool. No matter what the weather, you’ll want to keep the elements and the debris out of the water, keeping it clean for your family.

Swimming pool covers are heavy – those designed with safety in mind can be especially cumbersome – and easing the process of ravelling and unravelling the large cover may be a priority for many people. Why not opt for an electric swimming pool cover. These electric covers are essentially the same as other covers, but when you want to put them over or drag them off the pool it’s as simple as pressing a button.

Who would use them? Electric covers are often popular in public pools where it must go on every evening, and come off every morning – electricity greatly assists this tedious and difficult process.

But they can be used in the home, too. Unlike with standard manual covers, neither strength nor dexterity is required to use electric swimming pool covers. This makes them ideal for elderly or disabled people, especially those that require frequent dips into the pool for therapeutic reasons. If retracting the cover is too much for some people on their own, then an electric swimming pool cover would be an ideal solution.

How do they work? A motorised pole the turns a reel, either pulling the cover in or pushing it out along rails. The electric pole will be versatile enough to fit a range of pool widths and lengths (and should be easily adjusted by the purchaser or the installer) This increases the choice available for those seeking to buy one, as they are not restricted to a particular make or brand that is made specifically for a certain sized pool.

The aesthetics of the cover will often be more pleasing if electric swimming pool covers are integrated into newly built pools, but if the pool is aleady installed and working, a retro-fit version may be your only choice.

This electric, automated action means that electric swimming pool covers are often referred to as “automatic pool covers”, since they automatically deploy and retract. The two terms can often be used interchangeably, though it is important to note that by ‘automatic’ we do not mean that it performs the action without any prompting. While this behaviour is, conceivably, possible, it is not within the standard function of an electric cover.

By: James Knight

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Several chemicals should be added to a swimming pool on a regular basis to keep the water safe and clean. Many swimming pool owners become unhappy with the common chlorine based chemical routine, and look to alternative sanitizers (such as Baquacil or SoftSwim) called “biguanide” based pool chemicals. Unfortunately these alternatives prove to be more expensive initially to purchase the chemicals, and cause problems over time which temporarily close the pool down.

If used in large quantities, or if not maintained properly, chlorine may irritate the eyes and skin of swimmers. Biguanide based swimming pool chemicals are much softer and have almost no affect on swimmers, but these chemicals are not capable of controlling organic contamination. Examples of organic contamination might be wastes left behind by swimmers or material that has blown or fallen into an outdoor pool, which promotes the growth of algae. While a chlorine swimming pool instantly neutralizes harmful organics, a biguanide swimming pool requires the addition of concentrated hydrogen peroxide on a regular basis. This liquid hydrogen peroxide solution proves to be more dangerous than chlorine to both store and handle.

Because biguanide based sanitizers cannot control organic contamination, microorganisms present in the pool water will build a resistance to the biguanide chemical over time. Like an evolving virus, these organisms become used to the biguanide sanitizer and form a type of water mold or slime. This ugly slime can only be eliminated with a strong dose of chlorine-based pool shock. The chlorine pool shock quickly removes the water mold, but also destroys all of the biguanide in the water. The immediate result of the chlorine and biguanide chemical interaction is very cloudy water which turns several unnatural colors, making the swimming pool unsafe to use for several days or weeks. Rather than risk further organic contamination and lost swimming time, most pool owners return to a chlorine pool chemical routine.

Chlorine is the right pool sanitizing chemical in every situation, except when a swimmer has developed allergies to the chemical. Pool chlorine is relatively inexpensive and easy to use, when used properly. With a basic understanding of pool water chemistry, and an easy weekly pool maintenance routine, any home owner can maintain a backyard pool with very few problems.

By: Brian Barker

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You can have the biggest, fanciest pool in the neighborhood, complete with tiles imported from Italy or painted with cool designs, floating rafts and fed by a gushing fountain, but without one specific piece of equipment, that shimmering pool can turn into a duck pond in about a week flat. What’s that vital piece of equipment? A swimming pool pump is a crucial piece of mechanics that works hard to keep your pool clean.

A swimming pool pump comes in a variety of sizes, shapes and models. Bigger is not always better, however, so knowing something about pumps and what they do will stand you in good stead as you either build your pool or are in the process of replacing old, battered parts. The size and type of swimming pool you own has a lot to do with the type of pool pump you buy, for manufactures make pumps for above ground and in ground pool needs.

Why is a pool pump so important? Because it works with your pool’s filtration system to keep the pool clean of debris. The pump pulls water out of the pool through a skimmer basket and then through the filtering system, and back into the pool. Without the pump, nothing works.

Most types of pumps will state their capacity, so always know what size your pool is before looking for pool equipment. You should know the basic area of your pool as well as how many gallons it holds. Most pumps will designate how much water they can pump either hourly or by the minute.

In most cases, people run a swimming pool pump for six to eight hours a day, especially in the summertime and when the pool is being used. If your pool is small and stays relatively clean, you can cut back that running time in fall and winter months to save electricity.

All pumps should come with some type of straining basket that is designed to catch leaves, sticks, and toys, or whatever else manages to end up in your pool. These baskets can be oblong, square, open or closed, but as long as they keep debris from entering your filtering system, the shape doesn’t matter.

When selecting any particular swimming pool pump model, check the energy efficiency of the unit to make sure you’re getting the best model to suit your needs. Be prepared to spend anywhere from $100 to $700 for a swimming pool pump. Because it is hard to determine how many hours a day you will need to run your pump, it pays to get a good model, which may be more than you want to spend initially. However, the more efficient the pump, the less electricity will be wasted, so it’s up to you where you want to save your money.

When looking for a swimming pool pump, also take into consideration the age of your filtering system. An old system may not be very efficient in filtering water no matter how powerful the pump is, so don’t throw good money after bad. A pump moves the water, it doesn’t clean it. That’s for your filtering system. Carefully watching chemical levels and water clarity, combined with good water circulation, is the best way to achieve good results with your pool.

By: M. Jedediah

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Pool pH & Pool Alkalinity The pH and Alkalinity levels of swimming pool water affect many areas of the swimming pool and must be kept at the correct levels if you expect to successfully maintain your swimming pool. The Alkalinity of pool water acts as a buffer for the pH, and helps prevent the pool pH level from fluctuating. The Alkalinity should be maintained at 80 – 120 ppm. The pH is the measure of the acidity of the swimming pool water, and the pH level should be maintained at 7.2 – 7.6 ppm. The pH of pool water is somewhat sensitive, but easily controlled if the Alkalinity is kept in range. All basic pool test kits should read the pH and Alkalinity level of pool water, and these levels are easily adjusted with common water balancing pool chemicals. If the pool pH level is not kept in range pool water may irritate the skin and eyes of swimmers, corrode the pool surface and inside of the pool equipment and make it very hard to maintain the chlorine level of the swimming pool. Pool Chlorine Stabilizer The chemical name of pool “Stabilizer” is Cyanuric Acid and it is referred to by either title. The Stabilizer level of swimming pool water must be maintained at 30-50 ppm. The Stabilizer level is important, but is typically only tested at the beginning of the swimming season when a pool is opened. The Stabilizer in swimming pool water partially surrounds the chlorine on a molecular level, to protect the chlorine and prevent the chlorine from being quickly burned off and used up by the sun. The symptoms of having too much Stabilizer or too little stabilizer in your pool water are very similar, and if you experience problems maintaining a chlorine level when all other chemical levels are properly balanced the stabilizer level should be tested. If the Stabilizer level tests lower than 30 ppm it will be difficult to maintain a chlorine level, because any chlorine added to your swimming pool will quickly evaporate and burn off in direct sunlight. If the Stabilizer level tests above 50 ppm it will also be difficult to maintain a chlorine level. Rather than partially surrounding the chlorine in your pool water to protect the chlorine, too much stabilizer will completely surround the chlorine making it inactive. In this state the chlorine is unable to combine with bacteria and harmful contaminants to sanitize your swimming pool. Stabilizer can be added to a swimming pool if necessary to raise the level, however once Stabilizer is present in pool water it cannot be easily removed. To reduce the amount of Stabilizer in a swimming pool the water must be diluted by partially draining the pool and re-filling with fresh water. 25% of the pool water should be drained and replaced with fresh water. The pool should be circulated for 12-24 hours, and the Stabilizer level should be tested again. This process should be repeated until the Stabilizer level is within range. The chlorine tablets and granular chlorine used to sanitize a swimming pool on a daily basis is a pre-stabilized form of chlorine. This means that the chlorine contains a small amount of stabilizer, and as chlorine is added to the pool a very small amount of Stabilizer is also added to help maintain the level. This small amount of Stabilizer constantly added with pool chlorine does not cause a problem in outdoor swimming pools because water is splashed out or evaporates, and gets replaced with fresh water to dilute the Stabilizer. This pre-stabilized form of chlorine cannot be used in indoor swimming pools, because much less water evaporation occurs and the stabilizer level will slowly buildup. Indoor swimming pool owners need to use an un-stabilized form of chlorine. Calcium Hardness The calcium hardness of swimming pool water refers to the amount of the mineral calcium present in the pool water. The calcium hardness should be maintained at 80-150 ppm in a pool with a vinyl liner, or 150-200 ppm in a concrete or plaster finish pool. Low levels of calcium hardness can lead to corrosive water conditions, which may damage the pool surface, pool equipment and pool plumbing. If the water in a plaster or masonry finish pool becomes corrosive, the water will absorb calcium from the pool walls and floor by eating away at the pool surface until the hardness level nears 150 ppm. The calcium hardness level can be easily raised using a Calcium Hardness Increaser available from most pool supply dealers. High levels of calcium hardness may lead to cloudy pool water and “scaling”. Scaling is most visible around the water line of a swimming pool as a white chalky deposit, but also forms inside pool equipment and pool plumbing. A pool Calcium Hardness Reducer chemical is available from most pool supply companies to lower the hardness to the desired range for your pool. You may also partially drain and refill a swimming pool with fresh water, which has a lower concentration of Calcium. Calcium is present in the water used to fill the pool and in the pool chemicals used to treat the water. The pool chemical that adds the most calcium to pool water is standard chlorine pool shock. If you find that your calcium hardness level is too high, read the label of the pool shock you’ve been using and you will likely find that the active ingredient is calcium hypochlorite. Each time this pool shock is added to the pool water, calcium is added to the water. To prevent this problem begin using Chlorine-Free Pool Shock on a regular basis, instead of standard chlorine pool shock (Calcium Hypochlorite). The active ingredient in chlorine-free pool shock is Potassium Monopersulfate, which does the same job of oxidizing bacteria and harmful organics but does not contain any calcium. If you choose to switch to chlorine-free shock you should always still keep the standard chlorine pool shock on hand, because it is the only pool chemical capable of killing algae.

By: Brian Barker

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If you are planning on a swimming pool being installed in your backyard, you need to consider what the pool will be used for in order to determine the best size and depth for the pool. A pool meant to be used for recreational purposes will need to have a shallow end. The shape will not matter. If the pool is for swimming laps, it needs to be long and straight, and the ends need to be parallel with each other. If you are going to make swimming a part of your daily workout, but you are limited in the amount of space you can use for a pool, a swim spa might work out best for you.

Recreational pool users, which will probably mostly children, don’t require a lot of depth. There needs to be a shallow end with a sloping floor, which will go from about 3 ft in depth to 4 or 5 ft in depth. A recreational pool can be any shape, which means you can choose a pool that will compliment your backyard.

For an athletic swimmer the pool needs long and narrow spaces with at least 4-5 ft. depth throughout the entire pool. This will prevent them from touching the bottom of the pool while they are swimming and will allow them to execute their turns at the end safely. For competitive swimmers in training the pool length needs to be at least 25 yards or 24 meters. This will enable them to develop their swimming style, which is usable in competition.

There is a way to incorporate a lap swimmer style pool with a recreational pool together in the same pool. The “L” shaped pool could accommodate both the lap swimmer and the recreational swimmers. The long end of the “L” could be reserved for the lap swimmer, while the shorter end of the “L” would be plenty of room for fun and games.

Another option you might need to consider is making room for a diving board, water slide and even a wading area for the smaller children. Although diving boards and water slides are popular there is some debate regarding the depth required for each along with the diving well size. This is a matter you may want to take up with your Texas pool designer. Because of the risk you may decide not to have either one. This will prevent unforeseen pool accidents, especially those involving children.

However, you might consider the wading pool. This is relatively safe and almost a necessity if you have very young children. The drawback is the young children will outgrow the wading pool quickly and be joining the rest of the family in the main pool. Another option you have is to build the wading pool separate from the main pool. After the children outgrow the need of the wading pool, you can then have it converted into a swirling spa.

As for shapes with a recreational pool the simple geometric shapes are the best for complementing a landscaped setting. The combination of the swimming pool along with landscaping will enhance the appearance of your backyard a great deal, and increase the value of your property. The geometric shaped pools can be found in suburban areas.

It can be difficult to incorporate an unusual shaped pool on residential lots. The pool will compete with and overpower the surrounding landscape. However, odd shapes can work well when the shape is used to blend with the natural features of your property, such as a bend in the pool to go around a large boulder or a tree.

By: Tim McDougall

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